On the road!

Added
26 Apr 2013

We leave Windhoek this morning for our drive south west towards the Namib Naukluft Park. On the road just outside Windhoek we're obliged to report to a government weigh station. Our coach is weighed and we're allowed on our way. Uanee, our guide, tells us we'll also be weighed at the end of the tour and the two figures compared (which is not entirely true). About an hour into our journey we turn off the main road near the town of Rehoboth and hit the gravel roads! Fortunately, by African standards, most Namibian gravel roads are excellent quality. We bounce along from time to time but we're in good hands - our regular driver, Bruce, is at the wheel!

Lunch time is scheduled at a tiny place called Solitaire. However, just before we arrive, two of our guests claim to have spotted some big cats quite near the side of the road. We're a little dubious but we definitely need to check it out, so we turn around and head back half a mile. And guess what? Two cheetahs are laying in the shade of a camel thorn tree just the other side of the fence by the side of the road! Well done Sylvia and Rosemary!! Uanee has never seen cheetahs here before. It's a mystery, but many photos are taken!

Solitaire is literally a road junction with a small petrol station, one shop, a lodge with accommodations, and (most famously) a bakery run by a Mr Moose McGregor. Richard and Dawn have arranged a surprise lunch at the lodge - a "light snack" with roast Kudu steak, salads, and Mr McGregor's apple pie (which is delicious but actually more like a full crumble than a pie!).

Sossusvlei Lodge is our final destination and we arrive around 3.30pm. We're soon settled in and relaxing in our private cottages. The sun sets, the views are wonderful and everyone seems rather happy.